The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum

Lake Michigan

Click on the Logo to the left to download a 2004 Microsoft Streets and Trips File

Click on the Logo to the left to download a Garmin MapSource File
Error in original file update July 22, 2004 6:55 EST

Click on the Logo to the left to download Witness Forms and Stop Log in Microsoft Word 2003 format.

General Guidelines

We will be traveling counterclockwise on this ride so that you can finish up on the Interstate instead of two lane.

No border crossing on this route but you do have to deal with some big city traffic. Choose your start time and rest time wisely.

The Lake Michigan Route is 1031.3 miles as defined in the directions below. Do you have to follow this exact route? No, but you are must do at least 1000 miles and you must make the mandatory checkpoint (only 1) which will be used to validate your odometer along with the ending receipt. We will use Microsoft Streets and Trips to validate that you have in fact done 1000 miles. If you take a short cut, you need to clearly document it and recognize it could put you under 1000 miles and invalidate your ride.

This route has one MANDATORY GAS STOPS

I-75 Michigan Exit 279

The scheduled time to leave the Best Western Inn is 6:00 a.m-7:00 a.m. Alan Leduc or Don Braziel will be available during that time to sign you out. However, you can leave anytime you wish.

There will be a register in the lobby if you want to leave early. Make sure that you sign out before you leave. You will need to record your odometer reading and time out.
If you want to leave after 7:00 a.m., make sure you advise Alan or Don the night before so that we know you are starting late and don't start hunting you down.

When you return, if Alan and Don are not in the lobby, make sure that you sign-in on the register that will be in the lobby. Otherwise, we will be calling your emergency contact wondering where you are.

You will be provided envelopes for your your receipts and riders log each day. You are to turn in your witness forms (complete except for witness information and Stop Log daily. There will be a locked drop box in the lobby in the event that you cannot find Alan or Don.

Emergency numbers will be provided to you before the ride. They will also be listed on the register in the lobby. If you must abandon the ride for any reason, be sure to call the emergency numbers. Failure to do so could cause you to be banned from future MTF Events and since we are in close affiliation with the LD Community, other LD Events.

Summary: 1031.3 miles (17 hours, 52 minutes)

Tip from Dave Hinkgs:

I'm not able to make all of the SS5000 this year but just want to put out a warning on traffic in the Chicago area. The powers to be decided to start construction on all major interstates around the south end of the lake this year rather then space the construction projects out over the next decade. Thus the traffic mess has developed into the "perfect storm". Minor construction starts at about 31st street on the Dan Ryan and major construction (with lane closures) is underway on the skyway. There is no good way around this mess since I-94 and I-80,94 both have major construction projects. A recent article in the trib said that it could take 6 hrs to travel from Chicago to the Michigan shoreline (a second home area for Chicago residents). Going through this area in rush hour could be a major problem.

Your schedule shows you going through here at 3pm. This is the start of the rush hour. Any later then this could present a problem. I wouldn't suggest anyone trying to get through any later then this. Once on the skyway there are no further options. If riders arrive later I would suggest staying on 294 (the tri state tollway). The first jam here would be at the I-80 intersection. There are no really good alternates but at least there are alternates. If things get bad before the I-80 interchange get off at I-57 and take this to 30, then take 30 east to I-65, then north to I-80,94. If traffic keeps flowing on 294 and on I-80,94 just keep going, but if it slows then head south to 30 as the alternate. Going south on any exit from I-80,94 will get you to 30. 30 is not great (lots of city traffic) but does keep moving.

I stay off of these roads during the day after having been cought twice on I-80,94 when traffic just plain stopped! Under normal condition one could judge when rush-hour would occur but now major traffic jams can happen anytime. Note that traffic is always heavy on I-80,94 since 25% of it is truck traffic. If I was doing the SS5000 this year, and I wish I was but time dosn't permit it, I would stick with the tristate tollway since it leaves open other options. Good luck to all the riders this year and be careful in the Chicago area, lots of truck traffic on these roads.

I agree with Dave on with regard to trying to hit Chicago in mid day or after 7:00 p.m., so you might want to adjust your start time on this ride. I don't agree with going around the city. If you go around the city, there are five toll booth, each with a long wait, and it is several miles longer. Traffic is just plain bad in Chicago. If you go through town as the route suggested, you can expect to hit a bottle neck on the north side of town near Northbrook, another at the tunnel downtown (this will be your longest delay), one as you enter the Dan Ryan, and one at the entrance to the Skyway. Typically, even with construction delays on the Skyway are minimal. It's a crap shoot. Hope you win. This is one of the things that makes these rides so difficult.

Time	Mile	Instruction	For	Toward
6:00 AM	0.0	Depart Best Western on W 3 Mile Rd [Larke St] (West)	0.1 mi
6:00 AM	0.1	Road name changes to Larke St [W 3 Mile Rd]	0.1 mi
6:01 AM	0.2	Road name changes to (W) 3 Mile Rd [Larke St]	120 yds
6:02 AM	0.3	Keep STRAIGHT onto Larke St [W 3 Mile Rd]	0.2 mi
6:02 AM	0.5	Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto I-75 [US-2]	6.3 mi
6:08 AM	6.8	At exit 386, turn RIGHT onto Ramp	0.3 mi
6:08 AM	7.1	Turn RIGHT (West) onto SR-28 [W M 28]	56.4 mi
7:16 AM	63.5	Turn LEFT (South) onto SR-117	4.5 mi
7:24 AM	68.0	Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-117 [Country Ave]	10.0 mi
7:42 AM	77.9	Turn RIGHT (West) onto US-2	88.2 mi
9:28 AM	166.1	Turn LEFT (South) onto US-2 [US-2 41 M35]	4.0 mi
9:34 AM	170.1	Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-35 [S Lincoln Rd]	4.0 mi
9:40 AM	174.0	Turn LEFT (East) onto SR-35 [SR-M35]	48.5 mi
10:39 AM	222.5	Bear LEFT (South) onto US-41 [10th St]	1.9 mi
10:42 AM	224.4	Turn RIGHT (West) onto US-41 [10th Ave]	50.4 mi
10:43 AM	225.1	Entering Wisconsin
11:42 AM	274.7	At exit I-43, take Ramp (RIGHT) onto I-43	125.9 mi
1:46 PM	400.6	Keep LEFT onto I-94 [US-41]	9.3 mi	I-94 / US-41 / Chicago / Airport
1:55 PM	409.9	At 326, stay on I-94 [US-41] (South)	24.5 mi
2:17 PM	433.4	Entering Illinois
2:17 PM	434.4	Toll road Stay on I-94 [Tri-State Tollway] (South)	28.8 mi	I-94 / Chicago / Indiana
2:45 PM	463.2	Stay on I-94 [US-41] (South)	13.8 mi
3:02 PM	477.0	Merge onto I-90 [I-94]	10.6 mi
3:15 PM	487.6	Keep LEFT onto I-90 Express Ln [I-94 Express Ln]	4.0 mi	I-90 / I-94 / Express / 51st St
3:20 PM	491.6	Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto I-90 [I-94]	8.4 mi	I-90 / Exit 59A / Indiana Toll Rd
3:31 PM	500.1	Entering Indiana
3:31 PM	500.1	Toll road Stay on I-90 [Indiana East-West] (South)	9.6 mi
3:41 PM	509.7	Toll road At 10, stay on I-90 [Indiana East-West] (East)	10.7 mi
3:53 PM	520.3	At exit 21, turn RIGHT onto Ramp	0.7 mi
3:54 PM	521.0	At exit I-94, take Ramp (LEFT) onto I-94	138.8 mi
4:23 PM	551.6	Entering Michigan
6:07 PM	659.9	At exit 108, take Ramp (RIGHT) onto I-69 [US-27]	35.9 mi
6:40 PM	695.7	Merge onto I-96 [I-69]	5.0 mi
6:44 PM	700.7	Keep RIGHT onto I-69 [US-27]	53.3 mi	I-69 / US-27 / Flint / Clare
7:34 PM	754.1	Turn RIGHT onto Ramp	0.3 mi	I-75 / US-23 / Saginaw / Ann Arbor-Detroit
7:34 PM	754.4	Take Ramp (LEFT) onto I-75 [US-23]	162.7 mi	I-75 / US-23 / Saginaw
10:05 PM	917.0	At I-75 Exit 279, stay on I-75 (North-West)	60.8 mi
11:01 PM	977.8	Toll road Stay on I-75 [Mackinac Bridge] (North)	4.0 mi
11:05 PM	981.8	Stay on I-75 (North)	48.9 mi
11:50 PM	1030.7	At exit 392, turn RIGHT onto Ramp	0.3 mi
11:50 PM	1031.0	Bear RIGHT (East) onto Larke St [W 3 Mile Rd]	0.2 mi
11:52 PM	1031.2	Road name changes to (W) 3 Mile Rd [Larke St]	0.1 mi
11:52 PM	1031.3	Arrive Best Western

2004

Held in conjunction with the Great White North Tour

Day 3 - Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Lake Michigan

General Guidelines

Detailed Maps